Third-rail insulator.



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THIRD RAIL INSULATUR.

(Application median. 16, 1901.)

lh e d o u o Inventor William I3. Potter Atty.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

IVILLIAM B. POTTER, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERALELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

THIRD-RAIL INSULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent'No. 678,195, dated July 9,1901.

` Application filed January 16, 1901. Serial Non 43,477. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B.'POTTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Third-Rail Insulators,(Case No. l,5l2,) of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates to insulating-supports for the conducting-rails ofelectric railways operated by the so-called third-rail system; and itsobject is to provide an improved support in which the metallic cap issecured firmly to the insulating-body by an interposed adhering layer ofmetal. Herctofore the cap has been attached to the body by cement ofsome kind. In practice it is found that cement even of the hardestquality becomes disintegrated by the constant jar and vibration of theroad structure, especially when the insulator is used on an elevatedroad. The crumbling of the cement loosens the cap and renders itnecessary to replace the insulator at considerable expense.

My invention aims to overcome this by substituting for the perishablecement a metal, preferably one which does not contract in cooling, suchas type-metal, which acts like a hard solder, to unite the cap to thebody. I have also devised an improved mode of applying the metal to theinsulator, as will be Set forth hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of an insulator-supportembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same. Figs. 3and at illustrate the method of applying the metal or hard solder.

The base A is of metal, having an upright stem a' and legs a', by whichit can be fastened to the tie B. The body C, of porcelain, vitrifiedclay, or other insulation, is mounted on the stem a, to which it isfastened by cement C. The body has a peripheral flange c to carry anydrip of moisture away from the base. The upper portion of the body ispolygonal and tapered upwardly to a slight extent to receive the metalcap D, which has a ilaring petticoat CZ to shed moisture and is providedwith two diagonally opposite and upwardly-extending clips to engage withthe flange of the rails E. The Vtop of the purpose is type-metal, whichis 'a compound of lead and antimony and tends to expand slightly incooling. To apply they alloy to the insulator after the parts areassembled, I prefer to pour it in a molton state into the tubular pinand then insert a closely-fitting plunger G, which will force the metaldown under the lower end of the pin and up between the pin and cap, asindicated in Figs. 3 and/l. When the metal has set, the plunger iswithdrawn and the interior of the pin is then filled with cement H. Thealloy not only adheres closely to t'he cap and body, but in cooling itexpands slightly, thus exerting a irm grip on theY pin and the body andagainst the inside of the cap and effecting a rigid attachment betweenthe cap and body.

The other details of'construction form no part of my invention, andhence need not be described. The mode of connecting the insulator withthe rail is the same as that practiced with other insulators of thisclass and requires no explanation here.

That Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is*

` l. In an insulator, a body of insulating material, a metal cap on saidbody, and an intervening layer of alloy which expands on cooling.

2. In an insulator, a body of insulating material, a metal cap on saidbody, and an intervening layer of type-metal adhering to the cap andbody.

3. In an insulator, a body of insulating maferial provided with a cavityin the top, a metal cap having a hole registering with said cavity,alayer of adhering metal between said cap and body, and a mass of cementin said cavity. v

4. In an insulator, a body ofinsulating ma IOO terial provided with acavity in its upper end, a metal cap having a tubular pin entering saidCavity, a layer of adhering metal be tween said eap and pin and thebody, and a mass of cement filling said pin.

5. The method of attaching a cap to the body of an insulator', whichconsists in foroing molten metal between them and letting it cool.

6. The method of attaching a oap to an insulating-body provided with acavity, which consists in filling' said cavity with molten metal, andthen forcing it out of said cavity between said cap and body.

7. The method of attaching a cap to the body ot" an insulator, whichconsists in pro- Viding said body with a Cavity in the upper end, andthe cap with a depending tubular pin to enter said cavity, lling saidpin with molten metal and then forcing said metal down under the end ofthe pin, up through the cavity and in between the Cap and the body.

8. The method of attaching a cap to the body of an insulator, whichconsists in providing said body With a cavity in the upper end,and thecap With a depending tubular pin to enter said cavity, filling said pinwith inolten metal, and then forcing said metal down under the end ofthe pin, up through the cavity and in between the Cap and the body, andfinally lling the pin with cement or the like.

In Witness whereof I have hereuntoueet my hand this 14th day of January,1901.

lVILLIAM B. POTTER.

VitnesSes:

EDWARD WILLIAMS, Jr., ALEX F. MACDONALD.

